Monday, February 6, 2017

Thin Places

Richard and I walked at the Monastery this weekend The daffodils were in bloom, as were the pink flowers of the tulip trees. When we walked to the lake there, we saw a great heron flying. With its large wings outstretched over the water, gliding gracefully and ever so quietly, it was a breathtaking sight.

Inside the church, the light was streaming through the purple and blue stained glass. You are asked to maintain silence. Since the walls are built of solid concrete, the sound is hard to describe. It is a quiet that is most unusual....and very welcome to a weary visitor.

Look! This was the sunrise that greeted us as we stepped outside our front door this morning! "Thin places", that is how the Celts described the places where the distance between heaven and earth are so close that they almost touch. Mairead from Irish American Mom had a fascinating post about thin places and you may find her post just here.

52 comments:

I have two 'thin places'. One is the farm where I was born and raised...on the mountaintop where the sky seems to touch the earth and I can look down into the valley below, shrouded in fog, and know that I am close to Heaven. The second is by the ocean where I can look out and see the eternity of water meeting earth...with no end in sight.

So sorry about the Falcons. Glad you bet on the last game and not the Super Bowl one. lol xo Diana

Oh yes, my dear, let's just not discuss that last football game! Can you believe it, I have never bet on a football game before, only the one that gave me lovely hearts, Belgian chocolates and your great signed book! xx

In my immediate neighbourhood, there aren't really many (or any) "thin places". But I do have a few, such as my favourite grassy path near my parents' allotment, or Fountains Abbey near Ripon.Your pictures are, as always, great! I love how you describe the silence inside the church. Many people do not even realise how much noise contributes to them feeling stressed out and tired, and instead of creating islands of silence in their daily lives, they have the radio or TV blaring at all times, at home, at work, in the car.

Fountains Abbey, yes! Remember I told you that the BBC travel section listed it as one of the best walks? Lovely.And the allotment of your parents, I love it when you go there and show us photos!The quiet inside the church at the Monastery is amazing. Once, I took C. there with a friend when they were quite small, and we walked into the church he looked startled. After we left, he said that he had never heard "quiet" like that before. I knew just what he meant.

I've never heard that term, "thin places" but I like it and I have a feeling I'll be thinking of it often : )The stained glass windows mimic the colors in that beautiful sky. I can't believe Spring is already appearing there!

That's a lovely way to put that - thin places. When my late mother developed dementia, I used to take Highway 212 home to Atlanta sometimes and pull in the monastery parking lot to sit and think. (They lived at the very end of 212 in Baldwin County.)

If you can, try to visit the Monastery during the month of February. The bridge on HWY 212, which is just past the Monastery, has been closed for repair for months. Therefore, there is very little noise from the usually busy highway. It will re open after February, so try to get there if you can!

Have you ever read "The Red-Haired Girl from the Bog: The Landscape of Celtic Myth and Spirit" by Patricia Monaghan? She was an American celtic mystical type and this book is all about a trip to Ireland she took. It's beautifully written and full of spiritual insight. I read it about 10 years ago when I was on a silent retreat at a catholic retreat centre. That book was a "thin place" for me.

What a very fascinating post. I ended up following links from the Irish American Mom on and on. I love the idea of thin places. I believe I have a few, but I have a feeling that if we really are present in the moment there would be more. The noise and busyness of our minds and lives is too distracting. But some places, the thin places, perhaps, can make us step outside of this and pay attention and be aware. It is a beautiful idea.

So happy that you took the time to look at Irish American Mom! As you say, difficult sometime to live in the moment...I remember once when we had an unusual snow here in Georgia and building a snowman with my son...we worked together for some time and the sun sparkling on the snow with my joyful son beside me...that was living in the moment and was a thin place for me. Thanks for making me think of that!

Love the beautiful pictures Kay. I guess my place is sitting on the porch when there's no traffic noises or farm noises, and no wind. It's rare...but I have had a few days like this and I love it so much. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

Thank you, Jenny Woolf! And you might recognize that last photo, it is a view that Lewis Carroll loved also, the view from Beachy Head! (The building he would not have known, of course, but the view would have been the same.)

Good Evening Kay, What a lovely post. I would say, my personal thin space is sitting on an empty beach, to listen only to the sound of the sea which in turn rests the mind. I have lived in Cyprus which is in the Mediterranean Sea and listened to the gentle lapping of the water, I have lived on the South coast of England, where the sea is perhaps not as gentle, but just as lovely and finally here in the North East of England where the North Sea can be very wild. It doesn't matter which beach I sit on, the feeling is the same. The sea makes my busy mind slow down and it calms my soul.Best WishesDaphne

Lovely comment, thanks very much for sharing it! My in-laws live in Eastbourne, so I also love the sound of the sea. Any body of water seems to be calming to me, the lakes here in Georgia provide that peacefulness for me.Thanks again for your comment, I love the way you write!

I love the term "thin spaces". I have been to a few in my life and you never forget them and can't wait to return to them. Love all your pics of those beautiful places that I'm sure have a spot in your heart!

Love the cathedral glass, quite beautiful. I had to think about this for a minute, but I think for me the thin spaces are when I get out into the country, clear blue skies, and close to the mountains where I grew up. Always make my heart burst with happy!

My February could be going better, but at least I'm alive. So there's always that. That monastery sounds fascinating. You can get some pretty interesting sounds from a church, so I imagine it's even more intense at a monastery.

Beautiful pictures Kay and has such a peaceful feel, I think we know when we're in a thin place, where we feel closer to the heavens and God.I am catching up with my favorite blogs, much has changed in my life.

Thanks, Jenny, for your comment here, I know you are very busy! Funny thing, I was going to complain about February and tell my blogging friends about some stresses in my life but somehow, this post became an appreciation somehow, a thank you. Funny how that happens, isn't it?

Hi Kay - I love your thin place, and your photos are spectacular. The light and shadows in the photos helps communicate why you find the monastery to be your "thin place." Thanks so much for sharing my post with your readers. I really appreciate it.

About Me

Born in Toccoa, Georgia. I married my English pen-pal in 1983 after we had written to each other for nine years. Our wonderful son was born in 1989. Comfortable around a cuppa tea or sweet iced tea, welcome to my view of life! I hope that something here will make you smile or brighten your day.